Former Bunyoro premier refuses to hand over office as leadership crisis escalates – The Kampala Report

Andrew Byakutaga, the recently dismissed Prime Minister of the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, has rejected the newly appointed interim cabinet initiated by the Babiito clan, the kingdom’s ruling clan. On Saturday, this interim cabinet, led by Interim Prime Minister Dr. Baltazar Kyamanywa Kasirivu, was sworn in at the residence of the Chief Prince (Okwiri) in Hoima City. The ceremony was overseen by Robert Atega, a commissioner of oaths from the Hoima High Court.

The interim cabinet consists of several key figures: Owek. Kugonza Miganda as the Interim Speaker and Chairperson of the Clans Consultative Council, Owek. John Apollo Rwemparo as the First Deputy Interim Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, and Owek. Stephen Mukitale as the Second Deputy Interim Prime Minister and Minister of Oil and Gas.

Other ministers include Daphine Kabatalesa (Palace Affairs), John Williams Byakagaba (Finance and Planning), and several others overseeing various domains such as culture, education, health, and trade. In response, Byakutaga issued a statement condemning the swearing-in as illegal and baseless, arguing that it violates Article 246 of Uganda’s Constitution and the Traditional and Cultural Institution Leaders Act of 2011.

According to Byakutaga, only the cultural leader (Omukama) of the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom has the authority to appoint or dismiss officials. He also accused the Okwiri of forgery, stating that a document claiming the Omukama had transferred his powers to the Okwiri was falsified.

Byakutaga emphasized that the Okwiri’s role is purely cultural, akin to other clan heads in the kingdom, without the authority to act on behalf of the King or the Kingdom. He warned the public against engaging with the interim cabinet, asserting that it has no official standing in the kingdom’s structures.

In contrast, Fred Mugenyi Rucunya (Okwiri) urged a peaceful transfer of power, threatening to use all possible means to remove Byakutaga if he resisted stepping down. The dispute follows the Babiito clan’s decision to fire Byakutaga on September 2, 2024, after alleging that his tenure was illegal despite a Royal Commission extension of his term until June 30, 2024.

This internal conflict has unfolded against a backdrop of the kingdom’s challenges, including a year without a functioning parliament and cabinet ministers due to Omukama’s illness. Byakutaga, appointed Prime Minister in 2018 by Omukama Solomon Gafubusa Rukirabasaija Agutamba Iguru I, was previously suspended by the Babiito clan in January 2022 but was reinstated by the Royal Commission. He maintains that the current interim cabinet is illegitimate and has sought legal counsel to address the situation.